In Western societies nappies represent the very first substantial environmental impact a human being has on the planet. Today different options are available to soften baby footprints.

Approximately 260,000 babies are born in Australia each year and most of these use some form of nappy for the first 2-4 years of their lives. All nappies have an environmental impact so each baby leaves their own ecological footprint before they have even learnt how to walk! The good news is that parents no longer have to choose between just terry cloth nappies and synthetic disposables.  There are so many options available today that it is now much easier for parents to make a greener choice.   

The nappy choice a parent makes will be determined by their baby’s needs, their own lifestyle, budget and personal preference.  Many parents use a combination of cloth and disposable nappies and even move from one solution to another as baby grows.  Whatever you decide to use has to work for you. 

Eco options
The three categories of eco nappies available are: fully cloth, hybrid and fully disposable:

Fully cloth – this humble nappy has come a long way from the days when parents needed a degree in origami to successfully use one. The latest varieties are shaped, fitted and fasten without the need for pins. There are certified organic clothes and nappies in a variety of colours and patterns for the fashion conscious.

Hybrid – this system is comprised of a washable cloth outer with a disposable pad insert. The pads can be composted given the right conditions.

Fully disposable – only three years ago the first eco nappy was introduced to Australia and since then many have followed.  Unfortunately there is no disposable nappy available that is 100% biodegradable and all environmentally friendly disposable nappies have varying levels of environmental credentials so consumers need to do their research before buying.   Some environmentally friendly nappies are partly compostable, most have excluded the use of unnecessary lotion and perfumes and the more forward thinking brands even pack their nappies in biodegradable packaging.

Better for the environment

The environmental impact of cloth versus disposable has been hotly debated and a recent UK Environment Agency report 'A Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable and Reusable Nappies in the UK' 1 seems unable to find a clear winner.  The report was commissioned with the aim of determining once and for all which nappy choice was better for our environment.  The panel included representatives from the manufacturers of disposables and cloth nappies along with independent representatives from environmental agencies.  The report concludes “For the three nappy systems studied, there was no significant difference between any of the environmental impacts – that is, overall no system clearly had a better or worse environmental performance”.  

Many have rejected this report as incomplete and out of date – the nappy industry is moving very fast - however it points to one fundamental truth, no matter which option parents choose they can follow through using that option with best practice.

Best practice for going green

Cloth nappies - use an energy efficient washing machine. Wash in bigger loads as unsoiled nappies can be washed at a low temperature along with the rest of your laundry. Only soiled nappies need to be washed in hot water. Use an environmentally friendly washing powder and air dry whenever possible. If soaking, don’t use a sanitizer as line drying provides a natural sanitizing and bleaching effect. Avoid unnecessary conditioners and use washable liners.

Disposable nappies - be aware that excrement should not be disposed of with household garbage. Scrape all excrement into the toilet where the sewage system will deal with it appropriately.
These nappies should also not be added to your compost as human faeces can carry diseases which can be transferred to your compost. Choose an environmentally friendly disposable with high credentials.  Look for a nappy that has been independently assessed.

90% of parents and carers use disposables over cloth.  The large manufacturers of synthetic nappies will only move to making nappies that are better for the environment and baby if they believe this is what parents now want. By choosing an eco-disposable consumers are voicing their vote for a disposable nappy with a light environmental footprint and are putting pressure on the synthetic nappy companies to clean up their act.

1'A Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable and Reusable Nappies in the UK', UK Environment Agency, http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/acrobat/nappies_1072099.pdf

Written by Sinead Roberts